Full Measure Has a Delivery Truck
February 28, 2021
…For certain values of ‘truck’. We spotted this three-wheeled pickup truck in a post on Jalopnik.com, and knew immediately where it could find a good home. What the hell is it? Glad you asked! Let’s go with the official data first: It’s a 2009 Trifun EXT, which is legally a motorcycle. These were only sold in the States that year, as far as we can tell. They were assembled in Florida from mostly Chinese components, which include a 970cc four-cylinder engine and 5 speed transmission from a joint venture between Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Wuling and GM. This version has a claimed 500 lb. payload, though I’d be a little concerned about braking performance at maximum load. The bed has fold-down, removable sides all around, and it can be propped up manually like a dump truck.
So this particular little guy will need a little work, but is overall serviceable. There’s a few electrical issues, and a door handle that needs repair, but the body and paint are in great condition, and it runs and drives as well as one might expect a three-wheeled glorified golf cart to go. So… naturally we got it to Detroit from its former home in Youngstown by driving it here on back roads, a 6+ hour adventure. Like Skip says, “I feel like I got hit by a trike!”
Eventually, it will shuttle kegs around Eastern Market, run errands, appear at festivals, and generally serve as a rolling advert.